Water for Elephants
by Writeaboutus
Summary: In 1931 Rachel has suffered the worst of the depression. After the loss of her parents she decides to leave everything behind. One fateful night she hops aboard a train housing: The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular show on Earth! Running away with the circus turned out to be the best choice she ever made. Where else would she have found the love of her life?
1. Prologue

**Quick note to begin with. I'm not making sexuality a big taboo in this story even though it is mostly based in 1931. Because it shouldn't be an issue to begin with. So same sex couples are totally normal.**

**Also: Glee does not belong to me neither does Water For Elephants written by Sare Gruen or it's film adaptation by Francis Lawrence.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The rain pours down from the heavens above. Soaking my old, battered frame. I stare up ahead, the lights shining through the rain, pointing at _Circus Vargas_. I haven't been this close to a circus in years.

Promises of clowns with their dogs, acrobats soaring through the air, and animals you could only otherwise find in the savannah of africa...Or a zoo, wait beyond the booth.

The tent rises high up above, capturing rain, pouring over the sides.

There's a man still shuffling around in the ticket office, and I just watch him curiously. He, in his warm booth tallying up his earnings of the day. Me, standing in the pouring rain, wishing my tired body could have moved me faster to get here on time.

There's a loud honk behind me from one of those loud trucks awaiting to dismember the tents and attractions of the circus. As if a rude gesture such as honking at an old woman would get me to move. I turn around to face them, shaking my cane at them in contempt.

"C'mon lady! Whatcha doin anway?" I shake my fist at them, but otherwise stay silent.

Who raised these kids anyway? Didn't their mothers teach them any manners?

"Um excuse me? Can we help you?" Someone interrupts the shaking of my fist from behind. I turn around to see the young man from the ticket booth accompanied by a man who carries himself with authority. This is the man I want to talk to. I can spot the man in charge anywhere.

The man in charge stands behind a wheelchair. He looks at me like most people do these days. Like I'm a crazy old woman. And while yes, that might be partly true, I am not crazy in the sense that I have lost my marbles. I still have all of those. I'm crazy because I choose to stand out in the pouring rain in hopes of making it on time to the circus.

"Did I miss the spec?" I ask, even though in my gut, I know the answer. The younger man, the one that is tatted up and covered in piercing rolls his eyes at me, as if he is too busy to have to deal with the ramblings of an old woman. The one in charge sighs, water dripping of his baseball cap and onto his face when he nods his head. A look of pity washes over him.

"Uh yeah, I'm afraid so, the show was this afternoon." He tells me. I close my eyes and shake my head. This is not what I was hoping to hear.

"Did you come with the folks from Green Haven?" He questions me. I commend this man for being patient with me. Especially because we stand out in the freezing cold with rain pouring down on us. "Why don't we get out of the rain and we'll call 'em for ya?"

The young man covered in ink steps forward reaching his arm out helpfully, wanting to guide me to a wheelchair.

"No, no." I shake my head, pulling away from his touch. "I came on my own." What a waste that was.

"It's ok!" The young man speaks loudly and slowly to me. A common misconception between our youth is that we're deaf and dumb. While yes, I do know a few friends of mine that are hard of hearing, and might be a little slow, but old age effects everyone in different ways. I do not like being labeled as stupid just because I'm old. "We'll call the folks at Green Haven for you. They'll come pick you up."

"I'm tellin ya! I didn't come with the home!" I bark at him, feeling a little smug when the young man steps back in fear. "Maybe if you take those rings outa your head - you won't be deaf and dumb."

He laughs slightly, probably having heard what I just told him a million times before. He doesn't take offense to it. His boss even joins in on the laughter.

"Well it's alive." He jokes, getting a smile out of me.

"I'm sorry kid, I didn't mean that." I apologize. Here I am judging the rowdy men behind me for honking at me, when I'm being rude myself. "I-uh- your rings look very..." I struggle to find the right word "Pretty."

The man scratches his head, unsure of what to do with me.

"Russ." The man in charge steps in. "Why don't you take her cane over to my trailer then finish packing up." The boy listens reaching out his hand for the cane, silently asking if it's alright. I hand it over without protest.

"Ma'am, I gotta get you out of this parking lot. Why don't you sit down in the wheel chair? We'll go inside and dry off, and I'll make some calls for ya. C'mon please." I nod, not putting up a fight and take a seat in the chair. He wheels me towards his office then looks back at the rude men in their large trucks.

"Malcolm, tell them to come through!" The engines rev loudly. They're ready to take it all apart.

* * *

The man sits frustrated at his desk, making call after call, trying to get the number for Green Haven. If he would have just asked, I would have given it to him. But apparently a senile woman would likely forget the number to the nursing home she lives in. So I let him go through the trouble as I explore the contents of his office.

The man is a real enthusiast of the classics. He has old ticket stubs and photographs along with advertising posters littering his walls. All vintage of course, most from the Wringling Brothers, but there are a couple of other ones as well.

"I'm looking for a number that I don't seem to have in the phonebook." The man in charge mutters into the phone, rather annoyed. "It's called Green Haven." He enunciates each syllable carefully.

"I hope they sweat." I announce, pulling my eyes off a poster announcing his own establishment. CIRCUS VARGAS in big yellow print across a blue poster with a tiger roaring on the front. " Walked right out of the door and nobody noticed."

"GREEN HAVEN!" He repeats loudly into the phone slightly exasperated. "It's a nursing home. Hello? Hello?" The man hangs up the phone.

I stand before an old black and white photograph. I immediately recognize it.

"Hagenbeck Wallace, before the wreck." I announce, moving onto the next picture.

"Uh yeah, you know circuses?" The man asks distractedly. The way most people do when talking to their grandparents. Feigning interest.

"I should. Was in two of them myself." I reply proudly.

"Hey is there a relative I can call? Another number you have?" The man ignores my comment so of course, I must elaborate.

"The first was the Benzini Brothers." This gets his attention.

"Benzini Brothers?" He asks in a skeptical tone. I nod, turning away form the photographs on the wall. "Uh when?"

"1931." I answer. It's like he's challenging me. Not sure if I am telling the truth.

" '31 for how long?" He asks me. I, in turn smirk at him and chuckle slightly.

"Now you know the Benzini Brothers never saw the end of '31" He's still slightly skeptical of me. Which in a sense is understandable. For all he knows I'm a senile old woman.

"Are you telling me that you were there for-" I don't even let him finish.

"Right in the middle of it."

"Well thats incredible." He turns around in his chair, looking through the cluttered items he has on the small desk behind him. "Because you know, after the Harper fire and the Hagenbeck Wallace wreck, that's the most famous circus disaster in history." He pulls a frame from beneath scattered papers and presents me with a photo.

I grip the generic black frame in my hands tightly. Tears welling up in my eyes.

It's the most beautiful sight I ever had the pleasure of seeing in person. Center frame is an elephant with an elegant headdress, on top of her is the most beautiful creature anyone will ever have the pleasure of laying their eyes upon. A woman with blonde hair, poses for the camera, the trunk of the elephant coiled around her waist, hoisting her in the air.

Posing with them is a man in a top hat and what I know to be a red coat, even though the photograph is black and white. I know the color of the woman's hair, and her eyes. I know that the mans pants are white and his boots are black. I know this because I took this picture.

I feel my lips tremble as I take in the sight before me. I'm flooded with memories from so long ago. I sniff, willing myself not to cry.

"Are you ok?" The man asks hesitantly.

"You got anything to drink around here that isn't apple juice?" I ask the man. He chuckles, then realizes I'm being serious.

"Uh, yeah, I think so." He begins to rifle through his desk drawers. He produces a half full bottle of whiskey and two glasses.

"Here you go." He offers me the glass, not filling one up for himself. He settles back in his chair and watches me as I take my first stip.

"Ah," I sigh "I remember you." I breath into the glass, bringing it to my lips again for another sip.

"So how long have you been in that home?" The man asks, finally really paying attention to me.

"Too long." I tell him. "I don't know why they call it a home. You don't know anybody there. They stuff you so full of drugs, you don't care. 3 kids and not one of them has a place for me since their mother died. They take turns visiting on weekends. My son forgot who's turn it was today so... Can't blame him." I take a sip from my glass "The kids 71. He's starting to loose it up here." I tap my temple with the framed photograph in my hand.

The man nods, almost in understanding, but there is no way he understands me. At least he's sympathetic.

"They're not bad kids. It's not their fault I'm old. I had a good life, ya know." I take a deep breath and look down at the photograph in my hand " A big life."

The man stands and pulls out a chair for me.

"Take a seat." He offers. So I listen. I wipe at my eyes with my sleeve, clutching to the photograph in one hand and my whiskey in the other.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes. "My name is Charlie O'Brien the third." He reaches out to shake my hand.

"Rachel Berry - the only." I tell him, setting down my glass to give him a firm shake of the hand.

"That's good." Charlie chuckles, sitting back in his chair.

"Don't you have to call the home?" I remind him. Though I know I have him hooked. A smile plays at my lips.

"I think we should let 'em sweat. But if I could, I was wondering- Could you talk to me about what happened in 1931?"

I look down into my glass, prepared to take another sip, then I smile up at him and raise my glass slightly to him.

"We're gonna need another bottle of this."

* * *

**What did you think? -A**


	2. The Most Spectacular Show on Earth!

**The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth!**

* * *

It was a big day, that last day in 1931. I couldn't move fast enough. My life was finally going to start. I knew exactly where it was taking me.

"Jesteś spóźniony!" My papa, Hiram, called from the kitchen.

I admired my reflection in the mirror. I had to look nice that day. My dress was firmly pressed, my hair neatly styled, my million dollar smile (As my father Leroy would say) grinning back at me. I winked at myself before exiting my room.

Papa was right. I was running late. Couldn't have that, now could we? Not today.

Inside our house. There was no sign of the depression. My fathers had left Poland in much worse conditions. To them, no one could be poor if they had half a brain in their head.

Which is why I found myself scurrying out of the house, out my front porch and through the front lawn.

"Gdzie jest mój pocałunek na pożegnanie?" Papa called after me. I almost rolled my eyes at the man, but he and father only wanted the best for me, so I turned around to see them following me. They both needed their goodbye kiss.

"Kocham cię" Papa embraced me before tapping his cheek and leaning down expectantly.

"Love you too." I laughed before indulging the man and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Powodzenia. Uczyń nas dumni." Father smiled before pressing a kiss to my forehead. I looked right into his eyes and smile. Hoping that with just one look I was telling him that I would try my best to make them proud.

They knew I was in a hurry so papa grabbed a hold of my shoulders and turned me, urging me to be on my way.

After six years of dissections, castrations, and shoving my arm up a cows ass more times than I care to remember- by the end of that day, I knew I would be a Cornell graduate of Veterinary sciences.

I remember it all too clearly, sitting before my final exam. My professor was droning off instructions to us, but I paid him no mind. I was busy running over the anatomy of a horse in my mind.

I had a new life all planned. And with the opening of a door- Every plan I ever had vanished.

"Ms. Jankowski." My professor called my attention. I wanted to correct the man because my papa, Hiram, had been adamant about wanting to leave his families name behind in Poland. There was bad blood there. So we took the name Berry, from my father Leroy.

"May we have a word with you?" He beckoned me with a curl of his finger. It was strange, walking to the exit as my peers started on their exams, taking a first step into their new lives.

What I didn't know was that I was doing the very same.

"Rachel." I noticed then that it was the headmaster standing with my professor. "I'm afraid their has been a car accident."

Suddenly there was a ringing in my ears, my stomach twisted uncomfortably, and little black dots obscured my vision.

I knew these were signs pointing to my losing of consciousness. I powered through it, forcing myself to face my worst nightmare.

I remember my footsteps echoing through the small corridor reaching the morgue. I remember how cold it was and despite the fact, I was sweating.

How could they be gone? I had just seen them. I had just kissed them goodbye. I hadn't even made them proud yet. They could not be gone. It had to be a mistake!

With the removal of a white sheet, I knew it was not.

Both of my fathers laid before me, exposed.

I had worked on cadavers before. Never humans though. I never thought I would see my fathers like that.

I made it all the way outside before becoming sick. I knelt on the ground and hunched over myself.

I had nowhere to go. No idea what to do. What was to become of my families business?

So I pulled myself together. Wiped the sweat from my brow, the sick from my chin, and the tears from my cheeks. It would only be me from there on out. I had to be strong.

I made my way to the bank.

"Ms. Jankowski" The mans first mistake.

"Berry." I mumbled under my breath.

"According to this." The banker held out papers, nearly pressing them against my nose. "This is not a mistake. The house and all their assets, including your fathers practice are property of the bank in default of the loan."

The short, pudgy man looked at me in disdain. Like I had been the one to make a mistake.

"And I am telling you." I insisted, running my hands through my unruly hair. "You're wrong. My fathers owned that house outright" I tried to give him my coldest stare, but I had yet to perfect that look. My fathers had always said I only looked like an angered kitten when I pulled that face. I was hoping for more of a ferocious Lioness.

"These documents are dated four years ago. They signed them." He insisted, staring at me with the cold, dead eyes of a banker. See, now why couldn't I perfect that sneer?

"Did they need money for any reason four years ago?" He questioned me. Then it dawned on me.

"My tuition." I whispered in a reply. It was my own fault that I was in this mess. I never knew that they had taken out money.

"Well, there you have it. Now perhaps if you hadn't gone to college- you'd still have a home." The man tisked. I wanted nothing more than to reach across his fancy wooden desk, with his fancy golden name plate, and throttle his fancy little neck.

"But in light of the way your fathers ran their business-That's unlikely." The banker noted.

My blood had already been boiling at that point, but that- speaking ill of my father before their bodies could even get cold- that was unacceptable.

"My fathers were good men." I growled at him, balling my fists, rising to my feet. "When people came to them for help- They gave it to them."

"You fathers were irresponsible. They let people pay them in chickens!" He looked scandalized by the fact. "And eggs and whatever they had. Instead of money. This depression is with us for a very long while, believe me. And the only ones who will be standing at the end of it will be the ones who take what they need to survive." The man begun to hastily put away his papers in a fancy briefcase

"Do not make the same mistakes as your fathers." The man warned me. He opened the door to his office, practically shooing me.

So what's a girl to do? Especially when the man had insulted my deceased fathers, belittled my education, and taken away my home?

Well I slapped the man across his fancy face and stormed out of the bank.

I had walked home after that. Technically everything within the walls of my home belonged to the bank. But I was not going to allow that to happen.

I walked into my fathers room. It still smelled of them and their soap. I willed myself to contain the tears as I ran my fingers through the materials of their clothes. I pulled on my fathers leather jacket and grabbed my papas pocket watch before proceeding to my room. I packed myself a bag and left the home I grew up.

I remember walking out the door, forcing myself not to look back.

I couldn't stay there, reminding me of the life that was gone. And I didn't see the point of going back to school. There were a lot of men and women in those days with no home, no family.

Small towns were dying. Rumor was that there were jobs in the cities. So I got it into my head that I would walk to Albany.

I never made it.

I figured the best way to go, to hide my shame, was to follow the railroad tracks. I figured I'd encounter less people there than I would on the roads.

So I walked until nightfall. By then my feet had blistered and I hadn't had a bite to eat or a sip of water since before the time was set for me to take my exam.

It had been a long, emotionally draining day. And I was about to spend my first night alone. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, with only trees to keep my company.

I had found myself a small spring. Seeing as life couldn't have gotten any worse, I drank the water straight, not concerned if it would harm me or not. And when I had had enough of that, I soaked my throbbing feet.

It wasn't necessarily lady like, but I wished for trousers in that moment. I knew a dress would not be easy to continue in. And perhaps shoes that would not cause my feet so much pain.

I sat there for maybe an hour, just listening to the whisper of the trees and watching the fireflies float by. When suddenly the rails began to hum.

The sounds of the forrest were disturbed by the pumping of a loud engine. A train was about to make it's way past me.

I had heard about men and women catching a ride to their destination by simply hopping onto one of the stock cars of a train. My feet were in so much pain, I did not care of the consequences I might face.

I tugged on my fathers jacket, secured the pocket watch, yanked on my shoes, and made a run for it.

The light painted the forrest in an eery light. In that moment I really decided to catch a ride. I let a few cars pass before running alongside it. My feet were already in pain, but I pushed through it.

I huffed, pumping my legs to stay at the proper pace before lugging my bag onto the open door and then heaving myself on it.

Almost as soon as I found my bearings. A large, beefy hand took a hold of my arm roughly. It yanked me and held me over the edge of the open door, ready to throw me off.

I thrashed against his arms, then held onto them tightly. If someone was going to throw Rachel Berry off a train, they would be coming with me.

"Hey Hey! Don't mess with Finn. Throwing people off trains is one of the perks of his job." The voice of a man rang out. I looked just over the tall man's right shoulder to see him holding up a lantern.

"We don't need no bums on this train." Another man warned menacingly. He stood just beyond Finn's left shoulder. He had a mousy face and well groomed hair. He pressed the barrel of a gun to my forehead.

Well this is how Rachel Berry dies. Goodbye cruel world. You have been shitty.

"Now everybody, calm down here." The man with the lantern spoke calmly. I decided in that moment that I liked this tan man. He was bulky, but not in a way that was unattractive. It was clearly because this man worked hard.

"Put that damn pistol away Sebastian. Let her go Finn. And I mean on the inside of the train." Whoever that man was, I would be indebted to him.

Sebastian, the man with the pistol looked back and forth between the man with the lantern and I before heaving a sigh and pocketing his gun. He turned on his heel and disappeared from sight.

Finn looked over his shoulder at my savior, rather confused. He didn't loosen his grip on me though.

"I'm telling you. We don't need no trouble." The man insisted looking at the tall man who literally had my fate in his hands. "Look at them clothes She ain't no bum."

Finn really took a look at me then. He eyed my face before tearing away his gaze to look at my attire. I was really glad I hadn't changed out of my dress and into trousers. It saved my life.

Finn pulled me in, a safe distance away from the ledge and let go of the collar of my fathers jacket. He patted it lightly, trying to smooth the wrinkles he had caused.

"Sorry." He muttered. There had been a crowd watching, but they dispersed once my life was no longer in danger.

"Don't be sore, kid." The young man told me with a comforting smile. "It's almost a reflex with Finn."

The man almost killed me! And he wanted me to just drop it? Yeah, right.

"I'm Puck." He introduced himself. "That there is Sam and Kurt." He pointed at the two men who had been just beyond his shoulder the whole time.

"I'm Rachel Jankowski-" People had been calling me that all day, I accidentally did too. "I mean Berry." I corrected.

"Jankowski?" Puck questioned, with a glint in his eye. "Polac?"

"Moi przodkowie." I replied with a shrug. Something about the man had me comfortable with him. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't leering at me even though I could tell he had been drinking.

Those days it wasn't exactly safe for a woman to be traveling alone. Most of the time when it was 2 women traveling together they would get the hint. But I was alone.

"ah! okrzyki." He smiled, tipping his bottle of alcohol in my direction before taking a sip. He offered me a sip without hesitation.

"Noah Puckerman is the name." I smiled and understood the camaraderie he had already developed towards me. My fingers traced the small gold pendant around my neck. The star of david.

I took the bottle with a nervous smile before taking a sip. I winced as it burnt it's way down my throat and into my system.

"You're a little young to be on the rails." Noah said as he took the bottle back from me with a laugh. "You runnin' from something maybe?"

"No." I shook my head fervently. He had just saved my life I didn't want to give him a reason to call Finn over to really toss me out. "Nothing like that."

"Where ya headed?" He asked. It was then that I realized I really had no clue. Albany had just been something I was trying to convince myself of.

I was supposed to be a Cornell graduate by then. I had wanted to be a vet. Not an ordinary one, but one who worked for the Zoo's in New York or Philadelphia.

"I dunno." I told him honestly.

"Hungry? Out of work?" He asked me quietly even though no one was paying an mind to us. A third man had joined Kurt and Sam and they were engrossed in their own conversation.

"There's no shame in that." He reassured me kindly. "No shame."

We were both silent for a beat, just listening to the shaking of the train and watching the light of the lantern flicker off each others faces.

"Well, what can you do?" He asked me. I knew he had just been throwing me a bone, but I was desperate. I needed the work.

"Just about anything, I guess." I stood tall, puffing out my chest proudly. Just because I was a woman didn't mean I couldn't do a man's job.

"We land in deposit in the morning. I'll get you some work for the day. And if you're still alive at the end of it- I'll take you up to see August the lord master of the known and the unknown universe himself." He uttered the words dramatically as if this definition would lead me to guess who he was walking about.

"And who's that?" I asked him.

"August Rosenbluth. Oh Kid, you're in for the ride of your life."

* * *

I awoke with a start, immediately disoriented. Unsure of where I was or even what time it was. Groggily, I sat up on my elbows and looked at my surroundings. All I could really make out was a huge open door and I was laying on a wooden floor covered in straw.

It was the screeching of a train coming to a halt that brought back all the memories.

My parents were gone. I dropped out of school. I was on some sort of train.

The men I remembered to be Kurt and Sam, along with a third member that I had been later introduced as Blaine, quickly hopped out of the open stock door. Noah laid fast asleep, still drunk.

I hopped out of the stock car, curious as to where we had stopped. Noah had promised me a job for the day. But doing what?

As soon as my eyes adjusted to the light, my jaw slacked in awe. Hundreds of dirty, unshaven men poured out of stock cars. Like ants scurrying out of their home.

The wagons of the train were painted scarlet red with gold trim. Emblazoned on each wagon; _Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth._

I wandered the open space as that circus came to life. Canvas tents were raised. The Big Top laid sprawled on the ground, yet to be assembled. Men stood over seams, lacing pieces together.

Eight man sledge teams were assembled, pounding stakes into the ground at breakneck speed. I had never seen anyone move so fast. The continues thump-thump-thump-thump- it never stopped.

Teams of men were raising enormous poles with their combined weight. They chanted:

"Pull it! Shake it! Break it! Again! Now Down stake it!"

Several teams of horses pulled wagons. I hadn't noticed one headed right for me. I had to leap out of the way at the last second to avoid being trampled.

I had never felt so out of place in my life. It seemed I was just in the way of this well oiled machine. Everyone knew where the belonged. They had their job to do.

I duck into a large tent, not only to get out of the way, but for my own safety.

A stillness I wasn't familiar with took over as soon as I entered. It was especially noticeable against the chaos happening just outside. Controlled chaos, to be precise.

The translucent tent was as tall as the sky. It had barely been set up. Only the tent and-

"Animals." I whispered, smiling so genuinely in what seemed like a very long time.

I looked around in complete awe. Camels, llamas, zebras, and horses stood behind low hanging ropes held up by iron stakes. Some of them had their heads in mound of hay others just chewed lazily, watching me, the intruder.

Two Giraffes stood within a chain link fence. I had never seen creatures so magnificent. To me, that meant a lot, considering I had wanted to make it my lifes work to watch out for their well being.

There were just so many animals! Lions, panthers, tigers, chimps, bears, jaguars, and one Orangutan.

The animals stopped moving as if to give me an acknowledgement. Those were animals so used to human contact. So I responded in kind, with a nod or a smile.

I don't know if I picked that train or that train picked me. Something told me my fathers sent it my way.

It was the Orangutan that caught my attention. She had her arm outstretched, almost as if she was looking for something that was just out of her reach.

"What is it?" I asked, stepping to her den. I smiled curiously at her "What do you want?"

She strained her arm, blinking at me, and pointing just behind me. I turned to see what she may be calling my attention to. There is a half squashed orange on the ground. That had to be what she was wanting to reach. I picked it up, wiping away some of the dirt.

I offered it to her outstretched hand. She took it easily, then sets it down on the floor of her den, before sticking out her hand once again. It took me a moment to realizes she was reaching for me.

I extended my hand to hers and grinned widely when she wrapped her long fingers around it. She held it while looking right into my eyes. I returned her gaze, realizing she was thanking me.

"You're welcome ma'am." I chuckled. I had always been good with women. Who knew I'd be good with them in every species?

She let go of my hand and returned to her den, munching down on the orange I had retrieved for her.

"What the hell are you doin in here?" It's Noah, rushing to me. He looked around as if searching for someone to hide from. Apparently we hadn't been caught because he took a hold of my elbow and pulled me out. I stared back longingly at the animals.

"Get outta there! You ain't no menagerie woman. Only menagerie men are allowed in there." He wasn't angry with me, but he was stern. He really wanted to make sure I got the law of the land. It pained me to follow him out of the tent, but I figured I could work my way up to that tent. I wanted nothing more than to return to that tent one day and work with the animals.

"C'mon!" He tugged me out into the daylight. "I got you some work."

"With the animals?" I asked, hopeful. Noah smirked and let out a deceiving laugh.

"Oh you betcha."

* * *

It turned out he had gotten me a job shoveling shit. Horse shit, Zebra shit, giraffe shit. Imagine any kind of shit, and I shoveled it.

"I've never seen so much manure." I commented as I continued to shovel the shit out of the car.

Noah had taken my suitcase full of pretty dresses and told me he'd trade them for some proper work clothes. He returned with sturdy brown boots, a couple of high waisted trousers, luckily they were made for women, and a couple of multicolored shirts. Mostly whites, browns, and tans.

So I was in proper work attire shoveling shit with the third man I had seen on the train; Blaine.

"They pack them in 27 a car." Blaine informed me. He had already removed his shirt because frankly, it was hot in those stinky cars. I coughed nearly gagging at the putrid smell.

"How do yo stand the smell?" I asked him, maybe I could get Noah to find me a bandana to tie around my face. That could help.

"What smell?" Blaine asked, shoveling out some of the last of it. I stared at him with a blank expression. There was no way anyone could get used to that.

He grinned at me and slapped me on the back. That was the first time I laughed.

* * *

After shoveling more shit than I ever wanted to see in a life time, Blaine lead me over Sam who had a new job for me. I pulled on a new shirt, not wanting to completely stink up wherever I went, and followed him to the entrance of the circus.

There was a man standing a top a platform beside the sideshow entrance. He was strutting back and forth like he owned the place. For a moment I had thought that man was August. Sam was quick to correct me.

"That there is William Shuester." He explained while the man called everyones attention ("Ladies and Gentlemen!"). People were gathered all around to listen to him. I noticed other working men had created a perimeter behind the guests who were debating whether they wanted to enter.

"When Will gives the signal." Sam explained, tweaking his ear. "Ya gotta push the rubes in towards the entrance, but without them catching on or else they'll be a fight." I nodded, I hadn't realized how many secret 'tricks' there were while running a circus.

Will tweaked his ear. That was our signal. I nonchalantly leaned forward, lightly shoving the people towards the entrance. A few looked back at me appalled, but I stared straight ahead of me as if all I wanted in the world was to pay the fee to get in.

Once inside, Sam turned me over to Kurt. Kurt smiled kindly at me and held out a long lead pipe.

"Stay inside the tent and smack the sides with this when you see a head trying to peak in without paying. Puck figured this would be a good job for you- like it is for me. We won't get distracted. Blaine should be around here somewhere." Kurt told me, leading me inside the tent.

I wasn't sure what he had meant by that, but I followed him inside the tent. I was paralyzed by what I saw. There at center stage, was a topless woman. A beautiful blonde who was shaking her breasts for all the men to see. My jaw went slack. Noah had been wrong. I would get distracted. Very distracted.

She maneuvered her breasts in circles, shaking tassels attached to them. Men hooted and hollered encouragingly.

"Yeah Brittany!" A man towards the front hollered excitedly.

Brittany smiled at them, but I noticed how bored she actually looked. It must have been tiring, performing to the same old tired routine to a bunch disgusting me. Women had the class not to pay for such things. They knew if they wanted to see a woman do that, it was only within the privacy of a bedroom. Not surrounded my sweaty, smelly men. Though as I stood there, I couldn't help but watch. She moved her body in ways I would have never been able to move my own. It was sultry and sexy and I found myself lost in thought. Brittany caught sight of me and winked. I must have blushed 15 different shades of red.

"Rachel!" Kurt called my attention, looking at me with a smug expression. He knew I would no longer be working that booth. From across the tent I could see Blaine, a pipe just like mine in his hands, he also had the same smug smile.

"Yeah?" I croaked. He chuckled and shook his head. Then he motioned at a couple of heads trying to sneak their way in. We each took a hold of our pipe and smacked the men trying to sneak a peak through the flaps with the pipes.

* * *

When the end of the night found me I was doing what I had been doing all day; shoveling shit. I was just outside the big top. I could hear the laughter and cheer and music the spectacle brought to the night air, but I was not allowed to peak my head in and watch any of it. I had my job to do.

I'm not really sure what caused me to lift my gaze, but when I did, I was floored.

Behind the rows of black and white horses I caught a flash of something shimmering against the lights. It was a woman. I had never seen a woman so beautiful in my life. It was clear she was a performer, laced in a pink colored outfit with sequined designs swirling all over her body. She wore some sort of tiara, curly hair cascading to her shoulders. White gloves were on her hands that pulled the reign attached to a beautiful white andalusian. Her porcelain skin and entrancing eyes had me captivated. She carried herself with confidence and slight superiority and usually that would have been a turn off, but not this time.

I couldn't tear my eyes off of her as she instructed her horses to stay put and stand in a line with just the gesture of her hand or a click of her tongue. She stepped back and beckoned one with the wave of her hand.

"Silver." She called the name. The white andalusian stepped forward. "That's right. Good boy." She cooed.

"You okay?" She asked worriedly, stepping to it's side to caress it's neck."You're shaking." She whispered, running her gloved hands softly over the horse.

I tore my eyes away from the beautiful woman and took in the sight of the horse. Silver was indeed shaking, and I could tell it was out of pain. He kept the weight off of his right front hoof.

"Excuse me ma'am." I don't know where I had gotten the courage to approach her, but my feet had dragged me towards her without permission.

She whipped her head around, a frown firmly set on her lips. She had been unaware she was being watched. To be fair, I had not planned on standing in the shadows to watch her. It had just happened. I had just been so captivated by her.

"May I?" I asked pointing at the beautiful horse who was in pain.

She eyed my attire, her brow furrowed. Something I could understand because I was filthy and sweaty and my pants still seemed to slip from my waist even after Sam lent me his suspenders.

She said nothing, but stepped back, allowing me to take a look.

I gently patted Silver down, letting him know I was a friend before lifting his foot and taking a look at his hoof. I clicked my tongue at the horse, guiding my hand to it's fetlock. Without hesitation, the horse trusted me, lifting it's hoof. With a glance at the woman, I could see she was surprised that the horse had trusted me. I examined the foot carefully. It was not a great sight to see. I was just a dirty roustabout, so I couldn't do much. I forced a smile at her.

"He should be alright for tonight." I told her, clicking my tongue and eased Silver's foot down. "But I'd put him on stall rest as soon as possible."

The woman eyed be, both impressed and slightly insulted. I realized how that may have looked, like maybe I was telling her how to do her job or that she was not properly taking care of her horses so I smiled at her. It was not returned.

She stepped forward beckoning another horse and left without so much as a word directed towards me.

"Walk on." She beckoned.

I was hooked from that moment. I couldn't help but stare after her.

Even though I knew I shouldn't; I followed her to the big top. I entered to where the loud chattering and music was coming from, but my eyes stayed solely focused on her.

Then a man with a top hat, white gloves, and read coat stood before everyone. He stretched his arms out.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! AND CHILDREN OF ALL AGES! WELCOME TO THE MOST EXTRAVAGANT EXTRAVAGANZA THE HUMAN EYE CAN BEHOLD... WELCOME THE STARS OF THE BEZINI BROTHERS MOST SPECTACULAR SHOW ON EARTH!"

I could barely contain myself. The audience, both young and old, were captivated. The faces of people suffering from the depression lit up with pure joy and amazement.

Clowns, jugglers, acrobats, exotic animals. Divers on fire diving into a tank of water. A woman with a comedy bit using a small, very well trained terrier. Then there's the woman with her horses. She moved so elegantly, pointed toes and outstretched arms. She was glorious, atop her horse. Everything about her, every curve, every move, every command; it was beautiful.

She didn't seem real to me at first. The way she looked inside that big top, under those lights. Thought I'd go blind from the shine.

Benzini Brothers outdid God himself. They created heaven in one day and just as fast; heaven was packed away and gone.

* * *

**What did you think? -A**


	3. Midnight Train

**Midnight Train**

* * *

As promised, Noah had given me a job for the day. He paid me with a meal. I could have told him all I needed was the name of the beautiful woman with the black and white horses and that would be enough, but the growling in my stomach really was getting out of hand.

The next step was to take me to see August himself, the man I learned to be as the one with the top hat and red coat.

"Take a breath, before it all comes back up." Noah instructed me as I shoveled the food into my mouth. "I hear ya did good today. You deserve it."

"Oh yeah Rachel did especially well at Brittany's show." Kurt teased, coming up behind Noah and patting him on the back. Blaine hurried over as well, taking Kurt into his arms and placing a kiss to his cheek. I finally understood what he meant by not getting distracted during Brittany's performance.

"Really?" Noah arched an eyebrow at me and offered me a hit of his Jake. It was terrible. I nearly spewed it all over Sam when he joined us.

"Oh yeah." I agreed with a teasing smirk. "It was a great show. Wouldn't mind if you kept that job for me." Sam frowned this.

"No way. If Rachel likes what she's seeing than you have to give her a new gig. You did that to me. It's only fair." Sam took the bottle from me and gulped from it heartily.

"Hey!" Noah argued, pulling the bottle from Sam's grip. "Difference is I like Jankowski."

"Berry." I corrected. He waved it off like it made no difference.

"C'mon. I'll take you up to see August." Noah patted me on my back.

"Right now? It's the middle of the night?" I questioned. I did not want to be thrown from the train. I let Sam have what was left on my plate.

"Good luck!" He called around a mouthful.

"Don't mention Ringling!" Kurt advised. Noah lead me through the cars giving me all the information I needed to know to survive.

"It's the only time circus people live, even the boss. See musicians and side show people are above us roustabouts ." Noah told me as we continued on through the cars. Men and women cleaned their instruments as we passed.

"But they're below the specialty acts, which of course are below the ring stock animals and everybody!" He emphasized "Everybody! is below the bosses. Don't ever forget that."

We made our way through the car that held some of the performers. If the powder all over my face and the manic laughing was any indication, we had passed the clowns.

"Wanna watch out for those clowns. Nobody ever gets a safe passage through here." A little late on that Noah.

"Oh Lucinda my dear, good evening." Noah said in what I supposed to be his seductive voice. He smiled and waved and winked at every woman we passed by in that next car. "Hello my sunshine!" I would have attempted to do the same, but when I chatted up women, I was classy.

I would have rolled my eyes at him, but the car really was full of beautiful woman. There are girls in various forms of undress, negligees, sheer robes.

"I know you." Came a happy voice. Hands snaked around my waist and pulled me in close. I could tell it was all playful though. "You were at my show."

It was Brittany and she was leaning in close as if to kiss my neck. She even toyed with my shirt, unbuttoning the first few.

"Want a private dance?" She asked, toying with me. I almost took her up on the offer just to see what she would say. Then she lead me into a crowd of girls. Someone from a top bunk draped her legs over my shoulders. Others simply pressed kisses to my cheeks or snaked their hands all over me.

"Brittany easy!" Noah chuckled pulling me free from all the love. I frowned at the man and shook him off.

"I'm fine here!" I called out to him, getting the women to laugh in my ear and their hands to wander all over me.

Noah shook me free of the women and tugged me out of their grasp.

"Goodnight ladies!" Noah called back, looking slightly annoyed with me.

"Awww!" They booed at him.

"C'mon Puck, she likes it!" Brittany smiled at him. The man shook his head.

"Gotta go see August!" He told them. Brittany's eyes widened in surprise and leapt forward placing a loud kiss to my mouth.

"Good luck!" She said in a cheery tone.

I was left a little dazed. Noah rolled his eyes at me. He was grumbling about something. ("they never touch ME like THAT").

"Now try not to talk until you're familiar with the vernacular or you'll get your head bashed in. Townies are rubes. And performers aren't performers they're kinkers, but never call them that to their faces."

"What do I call them?" I asked, confused. Maybe I had missed that part.

"Performers!" He instructed me. "Just- just don't talk to them at all You'll live longer." He warned.

I made sure to take all the mental notes I could, though some of it got all mixed up. Like Who were kinkers? and were the band people below or above clowns?

"Now be nice and quiet around here." Noah forced a smile now, speaking through his teeth. It was clear he was uncomfortable as we passed through that car.

"The ladies and gentlemen." He nodded at them politely but they all just stared at him with disdain. As if he was the scum of the earth.

"Hey Noah, who's the woman who works with the horses?" I had been meaning to ask him about it all night and he didn't mention her during his spiel, so now was my chance.

He whipped his head around and frowned at me.

"Shhh." He looked around to make sure no one had heard us. "That ain't no woman." He told me carefully. "That's the bosses wife; Quinn." All it took was her name to get me grinning from ear to ear.

Quinn. What a beautiful name. It suited her.

"She's a star attraction." Noah snapped his fingers in front of my face to get my attention. Good thing he did because my mind had wandered to sequined leotards and blonde hair and magnificent horses.

"She don't talk to nobody." He told me. Well that was true. She didn't say one word to me.

"And you don't talk to her." Oops. "She'll just high hat you anyway." Noah turned back around and continued leading the way.

"You know, I have a kid sister about your age. Lives outside of Redding, Pennsylvania. Haven't seen her in years." He stopped. We had reached our destination apparently. I could hear the sadness in his voice when he spoke about his sister, I could also tell that he saw a lot of his sister in me. I think that may be why he took me under his wing the way he did.

"Fix your shirt. Your hair." I did as he instructed tucking in my shirt into my high waisted pants and buttoned up my shirt to where Brittany had gotten a hold of me. And straightened my hair to the best of my ability.

"Before we do this I gotta ask ya, and I don't wanna know your business, but I do know that you ain't been on the road too long. So before you start, i gotta ask ya; if you've got any kind of life to go back to, that's what you should do." Since the moment I met Noah Puckerman, I had never seen him look so sincere. I bit my lip and looked down at my grimy hands. They had been taped up because I had gotten so many blisters from all the shit I shoveled.

Finally, I met his eyes and shook my head seriously. I had nowhere else to go. No one else to see.

"I don't." I told him. Pain flickered in his eyes for me.

"And I'm so sorry to hear that." He told me sympathetically. "Now remember when you meet August let him do the talking. And Kurt was right: Do not ever mention Ringling Brothers! He hates them bastards worse than the depression." He knocked on the window of the car just ahead of us, the only one that a a secure door, apparently.

"Now, you know Finn." Noah told me. I blanched at the name. Said man opened the door and smiled at me.

"Finn this is Rachel." I was finally introduced to the big man. He extended his hand to me. I took it mostly out of fear.

"Sorry about that Rachel. My job is to keep Benzini Brothers safe. No hard feelings?" He looked genuine about it. I was already running away with the circus, how much crazier could I get?

"No hard feelings." I assured him with a shake of his hand. He grinned as if I had made his day with this.

Finn lead me into the August's opulent private car, with wood panelling, cushioned furniture, and chandeliers.

Sitting at a table playing cards were William Schuester the barker, Sebastian Smythe baggage stock, Diamand Joe Menagerie and ring stock, Mr. Erwin talent stock, and with his back to me, in his high winged chair, August Rosenbluth.

Finn cleared his throat to garner their attention. All eyes were on me.

"What's this?" Sebastian asked, as if he had't been the one to point a gun at me a mere 24 hours ago.

"That stowaway Puckerman took under his wing. College girl." Finn had a stern voice, but when they all turned away from us, he smiled. It was all an act. Everyone had their part to play.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure." August spoke without even bothering to turn in his chair to look at me.

"Rachel Berry Sir." I introduced myself.

"What am I supposed to do with a Rachel Berry?" He asked between puffs of his cigar.

"I'm just looking for work." I told him, standing my ground.

"Ever worked a show sweetie?" He asked me in a painfully sweet voice.

"No sir." I replied.

"Ever seen a show?"

"Yes sir." I was so nervous that I couldn't stop myself from saying "Ringling Brothers." I winced internally. Finn elbowed me, reminding me to shut my damn mouth.

Everything in the car froze in that moment. All eyes, were once again on me. August slowly sat up straight and turned around in his chair to look at me.

"Ringling eh?" He questioned, a strain in his voice.

"Yeah, but it was- it was terrible." I corrected myself quickly. He smiled and turned back to his card game.

"Well they do try boys, don't they?" They all chuckled. I let out a long, shaky breath.

"Seen our show?" He asked. I knew it was a trap as soon as he asked, but I couldn't stay silent. I had to answer.

"Yes sir." I replied. Finn side eyed me.

"What's you're favorite act?" He asked, distractedly.

"I like the one with the black and white horses." I spat out quickly. This got his attention. He turned in his chair and smiled.

"You've got a good eye. My star attraction." He turned back around to face the men he was playing cards with.

"Now I do believe we're looking for someone to carry water for the elephants. Aren't we gentlemen?" He couldn't see me, but I nodded my head enthusiastically. The men around the table chuckled at this.

"That sounds perfect." I agreed without hesitance. "I'd love to work with the animals."

He turns around to get a good look at me, once again.

"C'mere." He waves me closer. I hesitantly took steps closer. He took my hands into his and examined them.

"These from one day of work?" He questioned. He noticed the tape and the blisters. Then he dropped my hand and looked at his own in disgust, wiping away at them as if my hands had left anything on him.

"Yes sir."

"Why would a college girl dirty her hands as a filthy roustabout?" He questioned me with a sneer.

"I guess because out of all of that dirt and sweat working with these fellas you wouldn't want to be caught dead in the daylight with comes so much beauty." I answered him in all honesty.

"You grandstanding me girl?" He growled at me.

"No sir." I shook my head.

"That was beautifully put. Yet you ride my train. You eat my food without my permission while hard working men labor all day for the same privileges and these filthy roustabouts- they're my - you are an intruder. Next stop toss her off." He instructed Finn. The tall man nodded, but when August turned his back he frowned.

"Probably studied poetry." August joked, earning some hearty laughs from around the table. This man with his high and might stance really irked me. Why was everyone so afraid of him? I pulled out of Finn's gentle grasp and turned to him.

"I studied Veterinary Science not poetry." I spat at him. If I was to be thrown off, I wanted my dignity still in tact. I showed myself out.

"And I can tell you one thing." I started back, but Finn got in my way. "That star attraction horse of yours. It's not going to be walking in a few weeks, let alone performing." I wanted to have the last word.

"Finn wait!" August called us back. He turned in his chair and looked me over skeptically.

"Veterinary sciences? What school?" If I wasn't so desperate for a job I would have told him to jump off his train.

"Cornell." I said instead.

"You're a Cornell graduate?" He questioned, surprised. Well... I nodded instead of vocally lying.

"She did work the rubes for me this afternoon." Will spoke up in my defense. "Pretty good."

"Shovel horse shit all day- that don't make her no doctor." Sebastian spat.

"I'm sure Ringling has their own vet." To this day I do not know where the courage to say that came from.

Everyone stared up at me in shock, even August. He stood from his seat and asked me to follow him out of the private car. I gulped. He may not be a big, scary man like Finn, but I wasn't too big to begin with. I followed him out regardless. He grabbed a lantern and we exited the car out into the open air.

"You sure footed Cornell?" He asked me, climbing up a ladder. This is where i die.

"Yeah." I told him bravely.

"Good." He climbed up the latter, expecting me to follow. We climbed to the top of the train. August even offered me his hand. Our faces were lit by the moon, our hair whipped wildly in the wind, but all I could focus on was the view.

"It's incredible." I said in awe. August took a seat on the roof of the train. I followed his lead.

"Takes your breath away, doesn't it?" We sat in silence for a bit, admiring the view. "My star attraction is limping. I can't get a new liberty horse mid season. You make sure the horse performs and the job is yours. 9 bucks a week." I knew it was probably not going to be possible.

"You do right by me Cornell. I'll show you a life most suckers can't even dream of." I wasn't sure why, but in that moment, I really admired the man. He knew exactly what he wanted in life and he did what ever it tok to achieve it.

"C'mon." He rose to his feet and nodded for me to follow. We walked across the roofs of the train, hopping from one to another.

I had never felt so alive as I did in that moment. We ran across that train with the everlasting fields of America surrounding us. The brilliant sky and the bright stars. The wind whipped through my long locks. I felt free. Like I was flying. Flying to the next part of my life.

August lead me to one of the last cars where most of the horses were held. He lead me past them to a small room towards the back. There we found the woman who had the comedy act with her Jack Russell. She was sprawled on her bed lazily, but sat up as soon as August entered.

"Santana." August greeted the woman easily. She, like I, was a minority. Only, from the looks of it, she was Latina.

"August." She greeted in a strained voice.

"Have a roommate for ya." August informed him.

"What is she?" She implored, unimpressed.

"Rachel Berry." I reached out to shakes her hand, she frowned down at it with distaste.

"I asked what now who." She very nearly spat.

"This woman is the shows new vet." August spoke to her slowly as is she couldn't understand. I suppressed a laugh when she rolled her eyes at him. "Ivy league, no less. Which puts her a good deal higher in my estimation than you." I winced at the remark. August would make me a pariah if he kept introducing me in such ways.

"Perhaps you would like to offer her your cot." August suggested to the woman. She feigned a smile at him.

"I'll get you in the morning so we can see about that horse, cornell." August patted me on the back before retreating. Leaving Santana and I alone...almost.

"That a jack russell?" I asked, taking a step towards it. "They're real smart." I kneeled down next to the cot reaching my hand out as if to pet it. Only it barked and snapped it's teeth at me. I jumped back. Santana returned to her earlier position, the dog curling to her side.

"You're not getting the cot." She said without bothering to look at me.

* * *

**A/N: Hi guys, Thank you all for the reviews!**

**Bugsy1014- I will be following the movie as well as the book and adding some things from the screenplay and some of my own. So it might vary plot wise, but will end up in the same way.**

**What did you guys think?-A**


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